From Tech to Togetherness: Two Bay Area Women Redefine Connection in the Suburbs
The Moonlight Collective transforms suburban neighborhoods into cultural hubs of food, art, and shared passions.
San Carlos, California, Sep 2, 2025 - San Carlos, California - In an era where algorithms dictate our feeds and friendships often unfold through screens, two women from the tech world are charting a different path: bringing neighbors together face-to-face.
The Moonlight Collective, co-founded by Kelly Choi (former Global Marketing and Business Lead at Dolby Labs) and Maggie Wang (former Engineering Director at C3 AI), is reimagining how people connect - right here in Bay Area neighborhoods. Their mission? To turn kitchens, living rooms, and backyards into vibrant hubs for creativity, culture, and human connection.
Unlike traditional networking events or coffee meetups that rely on small talk, Moonlight experiences are hands-on and passion-driven. One night you might be making kimchi with a neighbor who grew up in Seoul. Next, you’re going on an owl tour with a local photographer in Menlo Park, learning leatherwork in San Carlos, or trying raw vegan cooking in Burlingame. Each gathering is designed not for scrolling or watching, but for doing, sharing, and experiencing - together.
“People are craving something more than screen time or surface-level conversations,” says Choi. “We’re creating spaces where neighbors don’t just meet - they learn from each other, collaborate, and walk away with a story to tell.”
Both founders credit their tech backgrounds for shaping Moonlight’s design. Wang explains, “In tech, we build platforms for scale. With Moonlight, we’re scaling something different: belonging. We’re designing the infrastructure for real-world connection, one neighborhood at a time.”
Since its launch in San Carlos mid last year, Moonlight has grown rapidly. With over 400 experiences hosted by 60+ local Guides, Moonlight is proving that the appetite for in-person connection is alive and thriving - especially in the quiet suburbs.
The concept also empowers locals. By hosting workshops out of their homes or studios, Guides, from pastry chefs to artisans to wellness instructors, can turn their passions into community-driven businesses simply by inviting neighbors and hosting fun experiences.
What sets Moonlight apart is its philosophy: you don’t need to drive an hour to the city or buy a ticket to a conference to feel inspired. Magic is happening five minutes away, with the people who live right next door.
For a generation stuck between Zoom fatigue and social media overload, Moonlight offers an antidote: an invitation to step outside, meet someone new, and reconnect with what it means to belong.
Or as Wang puts it: “You arrive curious. You leave connected.”
About The Moonlight Collective
The Moonlight Collective is a women-founded platform reimagining suburban life by transforming kitchens, living rooms, and backyards into cultural hubs for connection. Based in San Carlos, CA, Moonlight makes it easy for locals to discover and share passions - from food and art to wellness and culture - just minutes from home. With over 60 Guides hosting more than 400 experiences to date, Moonlight fosters belonging while empowering community members to turn their skills into side businesses. Its philosophy is simple: you arrive curious, you leave connected.
